Production of oil and gas is a trillion-dollar industry. Producers continually seek ways to increase the speed and flexibility, and lower the cost of, production apparatus for onshore and offshore oil and gas production. Equipment downtime is costly, so efficient repair and replacement of equipment in the field is valuable. High pressure pumps are routinely used in oil and gas service to pump various fluids, such as processing fluids, hydraulic fracturing fluids, and flush fluids through hydrocarbon reservoirs. Failure of such a pump shuts down production.
Typically, high pressure pumps are switched on and off when needed. Such power cycling reduces the lifetime of the pump. Additionally, different pumps are typically used for different service requiring different pressure or flow rate. High pressure pumps capable of producing varying flow rates and pressures and capable of idling without being shut off, are needed in the industry.